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Drought prompts ban on burning

The order applies to waste fires, campfires, bonfires and pile burning but excludes enclosed cooking fires.

By ASJYLYN LODER
Published April 19, 2006

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando has become the first county in the Tampa Bay area to ban open burning in response to the increasingly severe drought.

The dry weather has compounded the threat of wildfires, said Frank DeFrancesco, assistant chief of Hernando County Fire Rescue.

"The risk is very high," DeFrancesco said.

The County Commission approved the ban Tuesday.

Since January, Fire Rescue has responded to 110 unauthorized burns and 100 brush fires, some caused by unauthorized burns, DeFrancesco said.

The county's drought index is the highest in the Tampa Bay area, according to the state Division of Forestry. The index measures the dryness of soil and the accumulation of dead leaves and brush.

Unless the region gets some rain, neighboring counties may follow Hernando's example, DeFrancesco said.

The Tampa Bay area will see patchy drizzle and isolated showers through tonight, the National Weather Service predicted.

Since March 1, the Tampa Bay area has seen slightly more than 1 inch of rain, nearly 3 inches less than normal, said Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin. Drier-than-normal conditions are expected to continue until the rainy season because of La Nina, a climatic phenomenon that tends to push wet weather northward, Davis said. The area's rainy season typically begins in June.

The ban applies to yard waste and trash fires, campfires, bonfires and pile burning, but not to enclosed cooking fires. It applies to all of unincorporated Hernando County. Brooksville does not allow burning.

The ban does not apply to planned burns with permits from the state Division of Forestry. Violators face a $500 fine or as much as 60 days in jail.

The Division of Forestry issues permits for controlled burns to clear land for agriculture or development or to control underbrush in forested areas. In drought conditions, the division exercises added caution in issuing permits, said Terence McElroy, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture.

"We don't like to issue them when it gets like this, but on the other hand, sometimes it's necessary," McElroy said.

Planned fires to control underbrush help prevent wildfires, said Jim Karels, assistant director of the Division of Forestry. Local forestry officials make the decision based on conditions in their area.

"If it gets too dry and too windy, we, of course, won't issue a burn authorization," Karels said.

The last statewide burn ban was in 2000, and in 2001, the state imposed a 39-county ban that covered the five-county west-central Florida region, McElroy said.

"We only do that as a last resort," he said.

As of Tuesday, besides Hernando, Escambia and Nassau counties had instituted burn bans, McElroy said. Santa Rosa County issued a ban Monday that extended to Tuesday.

Asjylyn Loder can be reached at aloder@sptimes.com or 352 754-6127.

The Hernando County Commission on Tuesday:

Unanimously approved scheduling a public hearing May 16 regarding an increase in fire fees for the Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department. The department has asked to double residential fees from $25 to $50 a year and raise commercial fees from $25 to $100 a year to help offset the cost of equipment upgrades and firehouse repairs.

Unanimously approved a revision in its contract with Corrections Corporation of America, the Nashville company that manages the Hernando County Jail. The revision calls for increased penalties for management slipups, such as escapes, mistaken transfers and failure to comply with state rules.

Approved the transfer of 50 acres on Anderson Snow Road from the Utilities Department to the Parks and Recreation Department for use as a park with athletic fields.

[Last modified April 19, 2006, 01:58:13]